Whittlers are such beautiful knives, it's tough to point someone in a direction. The different models each have their own appeal. I collected them for a while, and still have quite a few. The ones that have retained their value the best are old minty ones, so if value is one of your goals, shop very carefully, and buy the best you can. I liked the old Case 6383 swell center balloon whittlers, and the 6380 large serpentine whittlers, so have a nice group of them. The Case Classics are easier to find, but you have to be really careful, because there are a lot more "prototypes" and "one of a kind" Classics than were ever really produced, if you know what I mean!
I definitely prefer true old American made knives from the historical age of cutlery, late 1800's, to 1950's or 1960's. You can wind up investing a large amout of money over time, so it's wise to put it in something that you can sell easily for at least what you paid.
If you like the Classics, remember they are modern knives, and the prices were pumped up, and hyped a bit, so they'll take a long time to increase in value. The old Case knives I bought 5 years ago are worth as much as 50% more than I paid for them, so a decent investment! The few Classics I bought are nice, but haven't increased much, if at all. The nice thing about them is, if you like mint knives they are much easier to locate in the Classics.
Read the books on collecting, and on counterfeiting. Educate yourself, and you won't regret it!
Whittlers are the hardest folders to make correctly, especially split back or tapered split back whittlers. They were always considered high class sophisticated knives, whereas jacks and barlows were usually simpler and cheaper. They are a great choice to collect. Look at as many as you can; go to shows. Then read the books! Then go look at them again, and buy a couple, after imagining them in your collection. It seems tedious, but it'll make you a wiser buyer, and you'll enjoy your collection more!
Bests,
Charlie (waynorth)
